Around the World with Samantha Jordan ’13
Samantha Jordan ’13 discovered her calling on a summer study abroad trip to Paris. She found herself immersed in an intense cultural debate as the country banned Muslim veils in schools and public spaces for the first time.
Samantha Jordan ’13
“I got interested in the intersection of politics and identity, and I also loved learning a new language and just living overseas,” Jordan says.
When she returned to College Hill, she made it her mission to set herself up for success in a career in foreign policy. She applied for and was awarded the Pickering Fellowship, which covered the costs of two internships and graduate school. Jordan interned with the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the State Department in Washington, D.C., while earning her master’s in public policy with a specialization in political and economic development from Harvard University.
Thus began Jordan’s 10-year career with the U.S. Department of State. She held positions as a foreign service officer in Kolkata, India, and Brasilia, Brazil, before returning to Washington, D.C., to work in the Office of Macroeconomic Affairs as well as the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau.
“There, I was working on the study abroad programs funded by the State Department,” she says. “That was a nice full-circle moment for me, and I loved getting to work closely with the students.”
Roles at the State Department are usually assigned for a set period of time, most often ranging from two to four years. In June, Jordan began a position as an economic officer in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. She works in what is known as “commercial diplomacy”—building economic ties between the United States and other countries. The country is the financial hub of Francophone West Africa, so Jordan works closely with figures like the U.S. ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire to explore opportunities for U.S. companies.
While at Lafayette, Jordan was a member of the women’s basketball team, worked as a writing associate and a peer mentor, and was a committee member for Relay for Life.
“We’re focused on looking for opportunities for mutual prosperity that benefit U.S. businesses, as well as the Ivorian people,” she says.
Living in Côte d’Ivoire offers Jordan an opportunity to explore parts of her heritage.
“Not knowing my particular genetic origin on the continent, I’ve always felt a strong connection to West Africa,” she explains. “It feels like coming home in a way, and it just feels comfortable. We haven’t been here long, but it already feels like it could be our home. There are very warm people here, and it’s just a cool, dynamic city.”
She encourages Lafayette students to pursue opportunities like study abroad, even if they seem intimidating.
“I would love for students of color to know that if they take this chance to study internationally, they’re not going to be the only one,” she says. “You don’t have to be interested in international affairs, but there’s something valuable for you to learn about yourself and your passions, no matter what you’re studying.”
Jordan was emboldened on her career path by a Lafayette magazine profile of Marcia Bloom Bernicat ’75, a former U.S. ambassador to Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Bangladesh and Director General of the Foreign Service from 2022 to 2025. She hopes she can provide the same inspiration for current Leopards.
She credits the liberal arts education at Lafayette with preparing her for an always-changing career.
“For me, one of the benefits of Lafayette is that liberal arts mentality that allows you to dip your toes into everything,” she says. “I didn’t even make a decision about my major until well into my junior year because I dabbled in everything—religious studies, history, politics. All things that would become important context for my career.
“It all makes so much sense to me when you look at my career now, because basically every two to three years I’m doing something completely different, and that’s essentially what I did at Lafayette,” Jordan says.